Frozen 2: Reviewed

I was lucky enough to have been invited to review the new Disney animation called Frozen back in 2013. The film blew me away with its enchanted storyline and well developed characters that you could latch on to and care about.

However, after the screening I spoke to one or two renowned critics eager to get their take on the film, only to be told that they didn’t think the film would amount to anything. How wrong were they?

Having seen the follow up to Frozen (the cleverly named Frozen 2!) I actually thought that this was a better film. But once again, I have seen a number of bad reviews already. The funny thing is that quite a few of the reviewers all said “But my kids loved it!” Err! Yes of course they did!

I think people like to find flaws in movies that have already had success and it’s easy to say that the studios tried too hard to replicate this success.

Frozen 2 opens with Elsa and Anna as young girls playing in their bedroom with their parents looking on as Elsa entertains sister Anna, using her magical powers to create snow characters.

Their Father tells them a story of when he was a young man and the people of Arendelle met the indigenous people of the Enchanted Forest called the Northuldra who became friends. But tragically a quarrel flared up between the two communities and a bloody battle took place and the Forest was sealed off by a magical mist.

We now move on a few years from the end of the first film and everything seems happy and normal until Elsa (Idina Menzel) hears strange callings from the Enchanted Forest and Arendelle is under attack from a strange unseen entity forcing the town folk to abandon their homes and flee to the safety of the caves.

Elsa is still drawn to the strange sounds and needs to find out what is happening to their town and the Enchanted Forest. Fortunately she is not alone and has the help of Anna, (Kristen Bell) Olaf, (Josh Gad) Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his Reindeer Sven. Along the way they meet up with some of the people of the Forest who have still been living there for many years.

Elsa needs to find out who she is and why she is compelled to seek out the source of the strange calling.

What ensues is an adventure for our famous five, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven. Where they encounter Rock Giants and the forest elements themselves.

This sequel has a lot more substance and the writers at Disney have had a long enough period to put together an exciting follow up. Olaf is wiser now and does a great catch up sequence on what happened in the previous movie and has most of the best comical lines.

Kristoff  is still very much in love with Anna and there is a rolling theme about him trying to ask Anna to marry him but  never quite manages it.

There is a lovely tongue in cheek musical interlude with Kristoff being separated from the others and singing a love song about his beloved Anna called  ‘Lost in the Woods’ in the style of an old 1980’s music video. (Nice touch!)

Anna is still just as strong and just as desperate to help her sister on this quest and has Olaf by her side.

There are quite a few new songs in this follow up and the ‘Into the Unknown’ song that Elsa belts out is worthy as a successor to ‘Let it Go’

Anna’s ‘Next Right Thing’ and The Queens ‘All is Found’.

Also the animation is outstanding. Disney has out done themselves with some great special effects and the whole film just looks amazing.

This film is a little bit scary in parts but that’s Disney’s storytelling, making you laugh one minute then make you cry in the next.

A brilliant sequel!

Have to give it 5 out of 5

In Cinemas now